More evidence suggests Toxoplasma infection may have permanent effects

The toxoplasma parasite can be deadly, causing spontaneous abortion in pregnant women or killing immune-compromised patients, but it has even stranger effects in mice.

Infected mice lose their fear of cats, which is good for both cats and the parasite, because the cat gets an easy meal and the parasite gets into the cat’s intestinal track, the only place it can sexually reproduce and continue its cycle of infection.

New research by graduate student Wendy Ingram at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals a scary twist to this scenario: the parasite’s effect seem to be permanent.

It took me a very long time to recover from it. My immune system was compromised for at least 3 years and I was very emotional when I got sick. I still tend to be if I have to talk about being sick while I’m sick. It is a very nasty illness.